From Firefighter to Trauma Healer | Ashlea Dillard on Recovery & Purpose
Trauma ignored doesn’t disappear
Some wounds leave scars.
Others stay hidden.
They live inside first responders, veterans, military families, and the people who spent years running toward emergencies while quietly carrying their own pain.
In this powerful episode of The MisFitNation, Army Veteran Rich LaMonica sits down with Ashlea Dillard — former firefighter, paramedic, licensed professional counselor, clinical and transpersonal hypnotherapist, and host of Sit Around the Fire.
Ashlea spent nearly a decade answering emergency calls, walking into crisis, and helping people through some of the worst moments of their lives.
But eventually, she had to face a difficult truth:
The rescuer needed healing too.
This conversation dives deep into the invisible weight carried by first responders and veterans:
🔥 Burnout and compassion fatigue
🔥 Losing a crewmate to suicide
🔥 Trauma stored in the body and nervous system
🔥 Why first responders suffer in silence
🔥 Identity loss after service
🔥 Veteran transition struggles
🔥 Hypnotherapy and alternative healing methods
🔥 Building connection, tribe, and purpose again
Ashlea shares her journey from emergency scenes to emotional healing and explains how she now helps others process trauma, reconnect with themselves, and move from survival into living.
If you've ever worn the uniform…
Carried invisible weight…
Or wondered why life felt different after service…
This episode is for you.
Key Moments
00:00 – MisFitNation opening & episode introduction
04:10 – How Ashlea entered Fire & EMS
09:18 – Confined-space trauma and “phobic waves”
14:52 – Losing a crewmate to suicide
19:33 – Burnout and compassion fatigue inside emergency services
24:20 – Leaving the profession and becoming a counselor
30:05 – The emotional impact of children-related calls
38:12 – Why helpers struggle asking for help
47:30 – Veteran transition and identity loss after service
58:40 – Can trauma be stored in the body?
01:06:21 – Why connection matters in healing
01:13:10 – Leadership and mental health
01:19:00 – Misconceptions around trauma recovery
01:25:30 – Gratitude through difficult seasons
01:33:40 – Ashlea’s Three Things
Who This Episode Is For
✓ Veterans navigating transition
✓ First responders carrying invisible weight
✓ Military spouses and families
✓ Leaders and mentors
✓ Anyone rebuilding after adversity
✓ People searching for purpose again
Connect with Ashlea Dillard
Website: ashleadillard.com
Podcast: Sit Around the Fire
Instagram / Facebook / TikTok: Ashley Dillard Therapy
About The MisFitNation
The MisFitNation is a veteran-founded podcast built around real conversations on leadership, resilience, service, entrepreneurship, transition, and overcoming adversity.
We highlight veterans, first responders, leaders, entrepreneurs, Gold Star families, and everyday people doing extraordinary things.
Be humble. Stay hungry. Keep hustling.
Because we are The MisFitNation.
#VeteranPodcast #FirstResponder #MentalHealth #Resilience #TraumaHealing #Leadership #Veterans #EMS #Firefighter #MilitaryTransition #Purpose #StackingVictories
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